Digital Eye Strain in Central Alberta

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Enjoy Your Digital Devices Without Eye Strain

If you’re like many other Canadians, you likely spend a reasonable amount of your day in front of a digital screen. You might even spend your leisure time surfing the web, watching videos, or playing games. However, constantly staring at computer and mobile screens can cause digital eye strain.

If diagnosed in a timely fashion, you can work with your eye care professional to treat and eliminate the strain. Please reach out to us if you experience any discomfort when working on a computer.

You may have digital eye strain if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • Sore, tired, burning, or itchy eyes
  • Watery or dry eyes
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Headache
  • Sore neck, shoulders, or back
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling that you cannot keep your eyes open

However, these symptoms are also similar to those of other, more serious eye conditions. Please call us for a comprehensive eye exam so we can investigate the cause of your symptoms and recommend a solution that will help.

The Effects of Digital Devices on Your Eyes

One issue with digital screens is that they make reading more difficult than usual. While you literally have all the world’s information at your fingertips, the pixels on your screen cannot define the letters, words, and images as precisely as print. Most people also tend to:

  • Blink less while using computers
  • View digital screens at less than ideal distances or angles
  • Use devices that have glare or reflection
  • Use devices with poor contrast between the text and the background

An uncorrected eye condition, like hyperopia, screen glare, or poor posture can also worsen digital eye strain symptoms.

Ultimately, this all means your eyes have to work harder when staring at screens. Many individuals experience digital eye strain because of this constant exertion and the resulting fatigue.

Your resting point of accommodation, or RPA, is the distance where you naturally focus your eyes when you aren’t looking at anything in particular. For most individuals, this spot is around 75 cm (or 30 inches) away from their faces.

If you think about where you usually hold your devices, it’s probably within your RPA limit. The shorter your viewing distance, the greater the muscular effort required for accommodation, which increases your risk for eye discomfort.

Preventing Digital Eye Strain

The best way to cope with digital eye strain is to prevent it from developing. Start with your work environment. Ensure your space is well lit, and adjust your screens to minimize strain. Frequent breaks from looking at your screen can also help you relax your eyes. Try following the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away from 20 seconds.

Should you continue to experience discomfort, please give us a call so you and an optometrist can discuss the best way to address your symptoms.

Experience Zeiss Lenses

Zeiss is a world leader in precision optics, creating lenses that are exceptionally well-designed with your real life in mind. 

From SmartLife lenses constructed for the way you use devices, to PhotoFusion lenses for seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors, and groundbreaking myopia control technology for children, Zeiss creates the lenses your family’s eyes deserve.

Our Locations

Red Deer Eye Care Centre

  • 4402 49th Avenue
  • Red Deer, AB T4N 3W6

Rimbey Eye Care Centre

  • 5010 50th Avenue
  • Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0

Rocky Eye Care Centre

  • 5040 B – 50th Street
  • Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1A5

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